Italy’s Davide Cimolai sprinted to victory on the sixth stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya on Saturday as Nairo Quintana stayed in the leader’s jersey after the 197km route from Sant Joan Despi to Vilanova i la Geltru, Spain.
Lampre-Merida rider Cimolai claimed the sprint after Cameron Meyer of Team Dimension Data was caught and passed with the finish line in sight after the peloton led a frenetic chase to reel in the day’s standout breakaway.
Colombian Quintana of Movistar Team finished in the peloton to remain seven seconds clear of Tinkoff’s Alberto Contador, with defending champion Richie Porte of BMC Racing Team in third, 17 seconds back.
Photo: EPA
“The pace was pretty high yet again, but the team functioned extremely well during the stage. We were never in difficulty, and we go into the final day full of desire and ambition,” Quintana said. “Attacks by my rivals will certainly come and they will be of concern, but I also think that the stage could end in a sprint, so there will be teams wanting to chase in order to give their fast men a chance of victory.”
The race was due to conclude yesterday with a hilly 136km circuit around Barcelona’s Montjuic, the site of the 1992 Olympic Games.
Contador refused to give up on the chance of victory, but regardless of the outcome he insisted that his preparations for the Tour de France are still on course.
“It’s a demanding circuit and anything can happen on Sunday. We will try our best, but I think I won’t be the only one. There are other riders that sit within a few seconds,” the Spaniard said. “I’m very happy with my condition and regardless of whether we win here or not, the preparation toward the Tour de France is moving ahead perfectly. I’m optimistic and very motivated about the Tour.”
Doping fears prevented former US Open champion Emma Raducanu from treating insect bites on the eve of the Australian Open, she said, with players increasingly wary about ingesting contaminated substances. The British player was speaking in the wake of high-profile doping cases involving Iga Swiatak and Jannik Sinner. “I would say all of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use,” the 22-year-old said, recalling an incident on Friday. “I got really badly bitten by, I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess,” she added. The bites “flared up and swelled up really a
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